


Surrogate

by vix_spes



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2013-03-25
Packaged: 2017-12-06 11:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/735359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caught up in the prospect of a treaty with Thranduil and Mirkwood in the months after Arwen’s birth, Elrond forgets all about the twins not for the first time, but thankfully somebody hasn’t.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surrogate

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading Zilah’s incredible but sadly unfinished ‘An Uir’ on OEAM a while ago and this kind of grew out of something she briefly mentioned in that story. It’s one of my first few attempts at writing LOTR so any feedback is much appreciated. I’ve also screwed with canon a bit (the age gap between the twins and Arwen is much less than it is in the original Tolkien) – please don’t hate me!

Erestor sighed as he made his way down to the kitchens in order to persuade the cooks to give him some food for a late lunch. The council meeting had overrun by an hour, as it had so often in recent weeks with the growing excitement at the prospect of a treaty between Imladris, Lothlórien and Mirkwood. Elrond was completely caught up with the whole thing and particularly the possible renewal of his relationship with Thranduil, so caught up that many of his duties had fallen to Erestor, despite him having his own duties to perform. Prior to this distraction had been the birth of Arwen whose arrival had meant that Elrond was incapacitated for a week while he spent time with his wife and newborn daughter.

What really disheartened Erestor was that somewhere in the middle of all of this, Elladan and Elrohir had been forgotten. They hadn’t been forgotten by everybody of course; Erestor, Melpomaen, Lindir and Glorfindel (when he could) all spent time with the twins but the people who really mattered, their parents and grandparents, seemed to have totally forgotten their existence. Erestor was trying to take up the slack but he knew that he wasn’t necessarily what they needed never mind what they wanted. What he hated was the fact that this had been going on for a number of years where Celebrían was concerned. Celebrían hadn’t been enamoured to discover that she was expecting twins and twin sons no less but she had been pleased that her duty to provide her lord and husband with an heir (and a spare) had been fulfilled. She had instantly handed the twins over to the selected nanny and retreated back to her friends and life in Lothlórien. Instead, much of the care of the twins had been taken care of by Erestor helped by his assistant Melpomaen and the chief minstrel Lindir. That was not to say that Elrond was an absent father. In the years before Celebrían became pregnant with Arwen, Elrond took his fair share of mealtimes, nighttimes and everything involved with the twins care when he was able to. On the other hand, Celebrían had been ecstatic to discover that she was expecting a girl and since Arwen’s birth six months ago, she had refused to hand her daughter over to any of the previously selected nursemaids.

The twins, although still young, had started having lessons with the other elflings and he knew that today was the one day a week that they were supposed to be at their lessons all day. Thus he was highly surprised to see two rather tearful elflings being led across the courtyard by Glorfindel’s second-in-command. Erestor frowned even as he knelt to accept the elflings into his arms.

“Ladron? What has happened? The twins are supposed to be in lessons with Mirfaín and the rest of the elflings all afternoon.”

“Mirfaín is ill Lord Erestor. Apparently all of the elflings parents were informed but erm, well ...”

“The information must have escaped Lord Elrond’s attention. Thank you Ladron. I’ll take care of the twins for the afternoon. If you could inform Lord Glorfindel then I would appreciate it. Come on then you two, shall we go and get some food from the kitchens and go and have a late picnic lunch by the Bruinen?”

Elladan and Elrohir nodded but they were still more than a little bit tearful and clung to Erestor more than usual. Ladron watched them make their way into the main house with a thoughtful look on his face. He wasn’t convinced by Lord Erestor’s comment that the information had slipped Lord Elrond’s attention. All of those high up within the household, primarily Erestor, Glorfindel, Ladron, Lindir and Melpomaen, knew that the twins were being, he hated to say neglected but that was the truth of the matter. He could only imagine how the two of them had felt when none of their classmates had turned up for lessons that morning and how they had eventually made their way to the training fields and Lord Glorfindel. He supposed that that was only because the training fields were closer to where the elflings had their lessons than the Last Homely House. He could at least rest easy now that they were in Lord Erestor’s care. The Councillor had a reputation for being cold and ruthless in the Council Chambers and Ladron knew that he had been trained as a warrior prior to coming to Imladris but, where the twins and those he considered friends were concerned, he was a completely different elf. Ladron was also one of the many elves around Imladris who was amazed at the fact that Erestor wasn’t in a relationship. Most elves put it down to his personality seeing as he was absolutely beautiful but those who knew him were even more incredulous when the complete package was taken into consideration. He made his way back to the barracks and passed the message onto Glorfindel.

He was completely unsurprised, half an hour later, when he went to check on Glorfindel, who was supposedly working on the next month’s duty rosters in his office, only to discover an empty room with a note from Glorfindel. The note stated that he hadn’t been happy with what had happened that afternoon and had gone to speak to Elrond. With that done, he had every intention of joining Erestor and the twins down by the Bruinen with some extra food. Hopefully between himself and Erestor they would be able to return the elflings to their normal exuberant selves, equally happy to run amok through the Last Homely House playing pranks or cuddle up, normally with Erestor, in the library for a good story.

~*~

“Erestor?”

The Seneschal looked up from his desk to see the two elflings standing nervously in the doorway.

“Pyn nith, what a pleasant surprise. Do I get a hug?” He quickly capped his ink and put his papers out of the way of eager elflings. They had that look on their faces that signalled he was in for some serious questions. The twins didn’t waste any time in moving from the doorway, round the huge desk stacked high with paperwork and scrambling into Erestor’s lap, pressing soft kisses to each cheek before they settled down.

“What have you two been up to today hmm? How were your lessons?”

“They were good but our teacher doesn’t make things as interesting as you do and we went to Mîr’s house for lunch with his Naneth.”

“That sounds nice boys.”

There was a distinct pause before the next question.

“Erestor? Where’s our Naneth?”

“She’s in Lothlórien boys, with your grandparents and your sister.”

“Does she not want to live here? Doesn’t she want to be our Naneth? Doesn’t she love us?”

Erestor’s face fell. How was he going to manage to explain this? “I’m sure that your Naneth does love you but Lady Celebrían feels that her life is in Lothlórien and as much as she loves you she does love her life there as well. If she lived here then she wouldn’t be as happy as she is there.” Even as the words left his mouth he knew that they were a pathetic excuse and that the twins had seen through it.

“If she doesn’t want to live in Imladris and be our Naneth can we pick a new one?”

Erestor couldn’t help himself, despite the lingering guilt at their words, and smothered a chuckle. “How do you propose to go about finding a new Nana?”

“We don’t need to find one Erestor, we already know who we want but they just need to realise it.”

Erestor couldn’t help but laugh at the indignant look on Elladan’s face; the elder twin was the spitting image of Elrond when he acted like this and that realisation sent a pang of longing lancing through him.

“Oh really? You already know who you want for your Nana? How do you know that they’re going to be suitable?” Even as he spoke, Erestor had noticed out of the corner of his eye that Glorfindel had materialised in the doorway, but he carried on talking so that the twins weren’t distracted.

“We asked Mîr what a Nana does.” Elrohir finally spoke up now. “He said that a Nana makes sure that elflings eat their dinner, help them with their lessons, reads them stories, gives them cuddles and kisses, tucks them into bed, takes care of them when they’re hurt and lots of other things.”

Erestor’s breath caught in his throat as he realised where the twins were probably going with this. Without even looking towards the door he knew that Glorfindel was grinning like an idiot. “Oh?”

Elladan nodded emphatically as Elrohir tangled his fingers into Erestor’s long hair. “You do all of that for us Erestor. You always have. Will you be our Nana?”

Even though he knew it had been coming, Erestor couldn’t bring himself to respond. He didn’t really know what to say. He knew what he wanted to say but surely he was going to be crossing too many boundaries. He was highly relieved when Glorfindel stepped in and answered for him.

“Boys, you know that’s an unfair question. Erestor can’t be your Nana because you already have one even though she doesn’t live here. But, that doesn’t mean that Erestor has to stop all of the things that he does already and it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you. Okay?”

Elladan nodded although Elrohir pouted until Erestor cuddled away the frowns. The younger of the twins was obviously thinking hard about something because all of a sudden he brightened up. “Erestor? If you can’t be our Nana for real, can you still do everything that you do but be our Nana in secret? Like a second Nana?”

Erestor bit his lip, wanting so much to say yes but unwilling to step over any boundaries. He looked up at Glorfindel, asking the question non-verbally and smiled when the warrior nodded encouragingly.

“I think that would be fine.” Erestor couldn’t help but giggle as both elflings wrapped their arms around his neck in a stranglehold and peppered his face with kisses.

“Pyn nith, I think that Erestor needs to breathe. Maybe if you’re lucky, you might be able to persuade your second Nana to take the afternoon off work and go for a ride.”

“Maybe if you’re really lucky then Glorfindel will agree to turn this afternoon’s training over to Ladron and come with us.”

Glorfindel winced as his eardrums were nearly shattered by the piercing squeals coming from two incredibly excited elflings. It would appear that Ladron was in charge of general training this afternoon; there was no way that he was going to say no to those two and upset them yet again.

~*~

Time skip... the twins are now roughly 85 years old

“Erestor?”

“Yes Elladan?” The twins shared a smile, still inordinately pleased that the elf knew them apart correctly just by the sound of their voices; even their father couldn’t manage it correctly every single time.

“Why haven’t you told Ada that you love him?”

“What?” Now the elf looked up, unable to continue with his reading having been asked such a personal question.

“Why haven’t you told Ada that you love him? You’ve loved him for years haven’t you, but you’ve never said anything. Why?”

Erestor knew that there was no escape. The twins were practically his own elflings, even though each year brought them closer to their majority, and he had loved them as such since their birth; he couldn’t ignore the question. “It isn’t my place to tell him that Elladan. He’s still married to Lady Celebrían and your Adar is an honourable elf.”

Elrohir looked up from his position sat at Erestor’s feet, his head leaning on the Councillor’s knee. “He may still be married to Celebrían but they don’t exactly have a relationship Erestor. She’s barely spent any time here in Imladris since Arwen was born; she’s always in Lothlórien. Besides, you’re practically our Nana.”

This last bit was said with a teasing grin. Over the years since their discussion when the twins were elflings and they had announced that they wanted the Seneschal to be their new Nana, Elladan and Elrohir had called him Nana numerous times, sometimes in a teasing capacity, other times when they wanted comfort. Every time they used it, Erestor’s heart beat just a little bit faster as he truly wished that these two wonderful boys were _his_ elflings. He had cautioned them against it, not wanting Elrond to hear it and think that Erestor was trying to usurp Celebrían’s position as their mother. However, the twins were stubborn creatures; something that they got both from their parents and also from the people who had brought them up. They were insistent that Erestor was their surrogate Nana and they couldn’t be dissuaded from the idea. For that matter, Erestor didn’t have the heart to attempt it. Their affection helped to ease the loneliness he felt at the thought that the elf he loved was already married and thus Erestor didn’t stand a chance with him.

~*~

Erestor fussed and complained all the way to the tailor’s driving Glorfindel mad as he insisted that he had absolutely no need for new robes; he had a perfectly serviceable set of robes that he was intending on wearing.

“Erestor, ‘perfectly serviceable’ robes are all well and good when you’re attending a council meeting or attending to your duties in your office. However, they are most definitely not suitable when it’s your son’s majority feast.”

“Glorfindel!” Erestor hissed while he looked around to check that nobody had overheard them. “You can’t say things like that, especially in public. Besides, they’re not my son’s.”

“No, they’re not officially, but you think of them as such and they regard you as their Nana. It’s their majority Erestor; they’re finally going to be viewed as adult elves. It’s a big deal for them and elves are coming from all over. Galadriel and Celeborn are coming and bringing Celebrían and Arwen with them, even Thranduil and Legolas are coming from Mirkwood and you don’t want them to think you haven’t bothered do you?”

Not for the first time, Erestor wondered if Glorfindel had simply out-argued the Balrog as he capitulated with grace and let the warrior take charge in the tailor’s.

(~*~)

Two days later he realised what a wise decision that had been as he stood in front of the mirror in his new robes in order to put on the mithril circlet he was required to wear for formal occasions. The robes were made of dark forest green shot silk and for that Erestor was eternally grateful as he was much more comfortable in darker colours.

(~*~)

Elrond watched from the dais as his sons laughed happily chatting to Glorfindel and Haldir, the two elves, one the Captain-General of Imladris and the other the Marchwarden of the Golden Wood, who had been in charge of the twin’s military training. They were swiftly joined by Ladron, Glorfindel’s second-in-command and Melpomaen, Erestor’s assistant (although the Chief Councillor and Seneschal was still conspicuously absent) and Elrond was struck by how many bonds the twin’s had with the elves that lived and worked in Imladris. Arwen, on the other hand, had barely had any interaction with the inhabitants of Imladris, even those who were close to her father. This was due to the fact that Celebrían had swept her off to Lothlórien shortly after her birth and rarely returned to Imladris. Elrond couldn’t fault his wife for this; theirs had been a political marriage and while they had wed, they had never bonded; something that he was eternally grateful for. He looked over at his wife who stood with her mother and daughter, talking to several ellith who had joined them on the journey from Lothlórien and found himself more than slightly disappointed that Celebrían hadn’t made any effort whatsoever to talk to the elves that she was still the Lady of. Knowing that getting worked up about it now wasn’t going to help and this certainly wasn’t the place for that, so instead he turned his attention to the conversation between Celeborn and Thranduil. In doing so, he completely missed the arrival of the elf he had been looking for only minutes before.

To his annoyance, Erestor had been held up by some problems to do with the feast and he had missed the opening of the celebrations. He was just hoping that he hadn’t missed Elrond formally presenting the twins as his heirs to the inhabitants of Imladris. As he entered the Hall of Fire, Erestor immediately clocked where Celebrían was and filed it away in his memory. It wasn’t that he disliked the ellith (even if he hated the way that she treated her sons), it was more the fact that he didn’t completely trust in the twins ability to behave themselves and he really didn’t need a scene to be caused today of all days.

It didn’t take him long to find the twins; all he had to do was look for Glorfindel and he had found them. When he finally reached them and the small knot of his closest friends he was gratified by their response to his arrival. Tight hugs were bestowed upon him by the twins and he received equally warm greetings from the others amongst numerous lamentations about his tardiness.

“I’m sorry; there were some last minute problems that came up that apparently only I could deal with. I was hoping that I haven’t missed Lord Elrond’s speech.”

“No. We persuaded Ada to wait until you got here; it didn’t feel right having it until you arrived.”

Erestor swallowed around the lump in his throat as he nodded, touched that they held him in such high regard.

(~*~)

With the official business over with and Elladan and Elrohir now officially recognised as his heirs, Elrond was free to enjoy himself for the rest of the celebrations. He noticed that Legolas had been drawn over to the twins and by all appearances, the three of them were conspiring to make mischief and Elrond just hoped that they could behave themselves for the rest of the night. Thranduil and Celeborn were deep in conversation once more and he could see no sign of his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. Looking around the room he caught sight of Glorfindel with Haldir and Ladron, all three blonds standing out in the crowd. However, it was the person next to them that caused him to catch his breath.

Erestor.

Why had he never noticed prior to this just how attractive his Chief Councillor and Seneschal was? Well, if he was honest, he had noticed him a long time ago before his marriage to Celebrían but even though they had never bonded, he had sworn that he would be a good husband to her and be faithful, never looking at anybody else. Amidst the three warriors, Erestor stuck out like a sore thumb; he was the complete polar opposite of them in looks. Erestor wasn’t petite by any means, although he was distinctly shorter than the three warriors. There was also the fact that even though he had trained as a warrior, he had not picked up his weapons since Ereinion was killed; even Elrond tried to keep up his skills with a blade once a week on the training field with Glorfindel. The deep green robes set off Erestor’s dark hair and eyes while the colour made his skin glow as though the moon was shining on it permanently.

As he watched his old friend, for they had known each other for millennia, Elrond felt feelings stir for the elf that had been by his side for countless years. Since he had agreed to the betrothal with Celebrían he had honoured her and not even looked at another elf but for the first time he wondered if maybe, just maybe, he had the right to love another elf rather than simply be involved in a political marriage. For a minute, he allowed himself to dream about what it would be like to be over there with the group of friends, to be able to wrap his arms around the smaller elf, be able to show him affection in public and have that affection reciprocated. For just a moment, he allowed himself to dream about what it could be like to be involved in a loving (and healthy) relationship. A touch to his shoulder by his father-in-law brought it all crashing down and he turned his attention back to Celeborn and Thranduil. No, it was better not to think about something that could never be.

~*~

It had been a week since Celebrían had sailed before Elrond was finally able to rouse himself from his stupor and made his way from the chambers that he had officially shared with his wife to those that his sons shared. Knocking softly he entered when there was no response and was shocked to see that there was no sign of the twins having been in there for several days. Glorfindel passed the open door and stopped to give him directions.

“If you’re looking for the twins I would try Erestor’s study or his chambers. They’re most likely to be there.”

“Why are they with Erestor?”

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow as if to question the fact that he’d just been asked that question. “Perhaps it may be something to do with the fact that they are looking for comfort and their father wasn’t available. Their mother was brutally attacked and has had to sail for Valinor so that she does not fade. Celebrían may not have been a proper mother to them but they still grieve her loss, particularly seeing as it was the twins who found her.”

Elrond grimaced at that, knowing that there was no way he could deny the other elf’s words. In the years since they had passed their majority the twins had started riding out with the Dúnedain hunting orcs, although they always spent the winter months at home in order to spend time with their father and the other elves that they considered to be family.

Deciding to take Glorfindel’s advice he checked Erestor’s study and upon finding it empty, made his way back to the family wing. Just down the corridor from the room belonging to the twins were the rooms belonging to Glorfindel and Erestor. As he knocked on the door he was suddenly struck that although he considered the advisor to be a friend he had never once been in his private chambers, only his study, although he had often been in Glorfindel’s. At the softly spoken “Enter!” he pushed open the door, his eyes taking a few minutes to acclimatise themselves to the dim light within the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the huge four-poster bed in the centre of the room and the three figures reclined on it. He was surprised to see the look of affection clearly visible on Erestor’s face and the way his sons, grown elves that they were, were cuddled up to the advisor like elflings. As he moved closer he saw that Elladan was curled up at the advisor’s side an arm wrapped tightly around him, while Elrohir was stretched out with his head in Erestor’s lap, clinging to Erestor’s hand.

“You can come closer Elrond. They’re asleep, you won’t disturb them.”

“How are they?” Elrond’s voice was hushed and a stab of guilt went through him as he knew that he shouldn’t have to be asking; they were his sons.

“They will be fine but they are struggling at the moment. They were the ones to find Lady Celebrían and they were injured themselves rescuing her. Following that, they had to watch her fade for six months before she finally made the decision to sail to Valinor.” One look at the devastation on Elrond’s face had garnered Erestor’s sympathy. “Where is Arwen?”

“Galadriel and Celeborn have taken her back to Lothlórien. They wanted to get her back to some semblance of normality. Lothlórien may have all the memories of her Naneth but at least she has friends and a life there.”

Erestor nodded his agreement. The loss of Celebrían would have devastated Arwen and it would be best if she was with her grandmother and in a familiar place. Here, the twins at least had a large support network that had been with them since their birth. He looked up again at Elrond’s next words.

“The twins are lucky in that they have you.”

“What they need more is their Father Elrond. Only you can reassure them. They wanted to ride out immediately after the orcs but Glorfindel and I persuaded them not to. They didn’t just lose their mother in this; they also lost numerous friends when they were murdered by those savages. ”

“I barely know them. I’ve missed so much of their lives. I can’t even pinpoint where I went wrong.”

“Arwen’s birth; well, more when Celebrían became pregnant with Arwen.”

Elrond’s head snapped up amazed that Erestor had been able to pinpoint the time so exactly. His surprise must have shown on his face as Erestor answered the unasked question with a wry smile.

“I have been there, at your son’s side, since they were born; I am one of their main confidants. The way that you have acted has hurt them yes, but the actions of Celebrían hurt them much more. They still remember the fact that you helped to look after them; you did everything that they required and wanted. It just went wrong somewhere along the lines. That doesn’t mean that you can’t regain that trust and that relationship back; it will take work but I can guarantee that they won’t reject your offer.”

The twins stirred as Erestor finished talking, shifting sleepily to allow him to move from the bed.

“Do you really believe that?” Elrond’s eyes, so similar to that of his son’s, were filled with hope and Erestor couldn’t do anything but reassure him.

“I do. What better time to start than now? I have to take care of some documents and you can stay here with the twins.”

“Erestor? Are you leaving?”

Erestor’s movements had woken up the twins and they looked more like sleepy elflings than the warriors that they were.

“I am but I will be back later when I’ve finished the work that needs to be seen to. Your Ada is going to stay with you though.”

The twins didn’t make any complaints, allowing Elrond to be manoeuvred onto the bed in exactly the same position that Erestor had been in. Pausing briefly at the doorway, Erestor turned round and looked at the three Peredhil on the bed and wished with all his heart that he could be there with them.

~*~

Elrond smiled from his position at the top of the stairs as his sons came riding into the courtyard, returning from one of their trips riding with the Dúnedain. As they did so he was struck, as always, that he had missed so many moments of his sons growing up once Arwen was born and now he was faced with two warriors. He knew that he had made a mistake in allowing his former wife free reign in her decisions regarding their children but he was grateful that they had had a strong support team in place and that since their majority he had been able to start rebuilding his relationship with them somewhat. Speaking of support teams, he saw their main caregiver hiding in the shadows. Erestor had long been a part of his life, primarily standing in the shadows but always there should he be needed.

He was struck, once more, by just how attractive his Chief Councillor and Seneschal was. He had always known that Erestor was attractive but in all the years of him knowing the other elf, he had never seen the other elf engage in a relationship with another elf, ellon or ellith. He never seemed to see Erestor in the presence of anybody other than Lindir and Melpomaen although he spent an inordinate amount of time with Glorfindel and had done ever since the warrior had been returned from the Halls of Mandos. For a long time he had wondered as to whether the two of them were in a relationship but he had been swiftly disabused of that notion the only time that he mentioned it to his Captain-General. Instead, there had been a strange look in Glorfindel’s eyes as he had informed Elrond that the relationship between he and Erestor was nothing more than friendship but he had never been able to work out what the look had meant.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as the patrol dismounted and the twins moved towards him, speaking briefly to Glorfindel as they did so. His sons gave him a brief hug and kiss and quick words of greeting, then he watched as they moved over to Erestor, Elladan sweeping him into a huge hug and kissing his cheek affectionately swiftly followed by Elrohir. He couldn’t fail to miss the look of sheer relief that crossed his Chief Councillor’s face as he checked both the twins over and ensured that neither of them was injured at all. The courtyard quickly cleared as members of the patrol that had returned with Elladan and Elrohir made their way to the stables to take care of their mounts before returning to their families. With the courtyard practically empty, Elrond lingered to see Erestor check the twins over again, just for his own peace of mind. As he turned to make his way back to his study accompanied by Glorfindel he heard his sons laugh followed by teasing comments from both of them.

“You’re such a mother-hen Erestor!”

“Yes _Nana_ , we’re fine we promise.”

“Honestly you two, we’ve had this conversation numerous times before; you know that you shouldn’t call me that. Go and have a bath; I asked the servants to draw you one when we got the message from the border guards. When you don’t smell so much like orc I trust you can find your way to my study and I’ll have some food brought up for the two of you.”

The twins laughed at his wry comments, knowing full well that they stank of orc and general grime after such a long time out with the Dúnedain.

Elrond couldn’t help but wonder, not for the first time, how he had managed to miss the closeness of the relationship between his advisor and his sons. A familiar relationship that meant the twins were close enough to teasingly refer to him as ‘Nana’. He couldn’t help but wonder how long they had been calling Erestor ‘Nana’ and if things had really been that strained between his children and their mother. Brushing the thoughts aside, he resolved to think about it all later.

~*~

Erestor stared at himself in the mirror and wondered, not for the first time, if he was mad for promising the twins that he would wear the robes that they had had made for him without first seeing said robes. The robes they had presented him with just over an hour earlier were the complete opposite of what he normally wore. He tended to stick to plain, unembellished robes of black and occasionally a deep midnight blue as he hated to attract attention to himself. Instead, Elladan and Elrohir had picked robes of the finest silk in a very festive deep crimson that set off Erestor’s creamy skin, ebony hair and eyes. The robes had silver embroidery on the cuffs and hem of the robes depicting the swirling patterns of Imladris and matched the mithril circlet that Erestor wore depicting his status as Chief Councillor and Seneschal of the Hidden Valley. For once his hair was free of braids and hung to his waist in a sheet of slightly curly silk. He wasn’t convinced about this but he had promised the twins and the last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint them so he took a deep breath, pushed his shoulders back and left his chambers, heading for the Hall of Fire.

To his relief, the celebrations were in full swing when he arrived in the Hall and he was able to slip through the crowds towards the main group around the fireplace virtually unnoticed. As he greeted the twins and Glorfindel, who had just returned from patrol that morning, he failed to notice the appreciative gleam in Elrond’s eyes as they swept over Erestor. The look didn’t go unnoticed by the twins though and two pairs of grey eyes met and shared conspiring looks. They had long wanted for Erestor to be their second parent officially and they had known since before their majority that Erestor was in love with their father. Here, they saw an opportunity where, with a bit of scheming, they could show their father what a treasure he had in his Chief Councillor and Seneschal. At least he was wearing the robes that they had bought him rather than the normal black that seemed to be permanently attached to him. They hadn’t failed to notice that Erestor’s new clothes had garnered appreciative looks from a broad spectrum of elves, both male and female. They were fairly confident though that those appreciate looks weren’t going to become anymore that that seeing as Erestor was head over heels for their father.

Their opportunity came a short while later. The presents had all been put under the true for the following day and all of the candles had been late. The main feast would be held the following day after they had all opened their presents. Instead, trays of finger food and snacks had been placed on tables around the room for elves to pick at as and when they wanted to. This left the majority of the room free for dancing, the music ably provided by Lindir and his minstrels. Elladan and Elrohir had been among the first on the floor but now they had taken a back seat to watch the antics going on. Glorfindel had appropriated Erestor and dragged him out to dance. The two of them made a stunning couple and were the recipients of many appreciative looks. The Captain-General was considerably taller and broader than the Councillor but then Glorfindel was taller and broader than the majority of other elves. Glorfindel’s fabled golden hair and bright blue eyes were highlighted by his sapphire blue and gold embroidered formal robes and gold circlet that signified his former status as Gondolin’s Lord of the House of the Golden Flower contrasted perfectly with Erestor’s darker colouring. The two old friends were obviously enjoying themselves, laughing and smiling at each other. As one dance finished, Glorfindel leant down and kissed Erestor’s flushed cheek and earned himself a frown from Elrond at the action. Wanting to appease his father, and avoid any potential scenes, Elladan leaned over and whispered in Elrond’s ear.

“You can stop glaring at Glorfindel Ada. There’s nothing going on between he and Erestor; they’re just friends. They’ve only ever been friends.”

Elrond raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at the two of them. “What are you trying to say ionnath nin?”

It was Elrohir, the more diplomatic of the twins that spoke up. “I don’t think this is the place to do this. Let’s talk about this outside on the balcony. Ada, no-one’s going to mind that you slip away with us for a bit. Come on.”

Elrond followed his son’s without complaint, sparing a glance behind them at the couple whirling around in the middle of the dance. Once outside in the crisp winter air they moved away to the furthest edge of the balcony before they started to speak.

“Ada, why were you glaring at Glorfindel? Was it because he was dancing with Erestor?”

It was Elladan who jumped the gun slightly. “Have you got feelings for Erestor?”

“Where on earth is this coming from boys?” Elrond was slightly bewildered by the questions and a little bit sheepish at his son’s having caught him watching another elf. The look that he received in response told him that he was going to have to lay all of his cards on the table.

“Yes, I believe that I have feelings for Erestor. It’s something that has been a long time developing. I think I first noticed him, really noticed him, at the celebrations for your majority.” He sat down on one of the stone benches and looked at his hands. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to replace your Naneth although; I have heard the two of you calling Erestor ‘Nana’.” He arched his eyebrow in a manner that made the two grown elves squirm like recalcitrant elflings. “I think I deserve to know the truth don’t you?”

“Yes Ada.” The two of them sat down on another bench directly opposite their father and by way of a silent conversation decided that Elrohir would speak for the two of them.

“We want you to bear in mind that you asked us for the truth Ada; we aren’t saying any of this to hurt you. A lot of things have changed since all of this first started. We’ve been referring to Erestor as ‘Nana’ for an incredibly long time, since we were elflings, because that’s what he is to us. What he always has been. Even though she gave birth to us Celebrían was never really a mother to us and we never had the opportunity to know her as a mother; she was always in Lothlórien. Her life was in Lothlórien not Imladris. You were there but you were often preoccupied first with work then with Arwen’s birth and then the treaty with Thranduil. However, you realised your mistake by our majority and things have changed; we have the relationship with you now that we always wanted.”

Elrond looked rather shamefaced at this until both twins reached over and squeezed his hands reassuringly.

“We know that you didn’t mean it Ada but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. But, Erestor was always there, absolutely always. We can’t remember a time when he wasn’t there.”

Elladan took over from a grateful Elrohir. “When we were much younger we went to a friend’s house and his Nana made us lunch. We asked our friend what a Nana does and as he told us we realised that Erestor did all of those things for us. That afternoon, with the help of Glorfindel, we persuaded Erestor to let us call him Nana in secret and it’s just developed from there.” He grinned. “Surely you know what Erestor is like Ada; he’s a real mother-hen.”

Elrond shook his head with a rueful smile. “I don’t Elladan. While Erestor and I are still friends, we are no longer as close as we were before I married Celebrían.”

“Why is that Ada?” Elrohir shifted so that he was sat next to his father rather than opposite him. “Erestor told us stories when we were younger. You grew up in Lindon together; he wasn’t that much older than you and Elros.”

“You’re right. I didn’t realise that you knew that. When did he tell you this?”

“Do you remember when we thought it was a good idea to go swimming in the Bruinen with the other elflings?”

Elrond smothered a chuckle. “It was the beginning of winter and the water was freezing. All of the other elflings were merely chilled but you two managed to catch colds. Nothing serious but it was enough to warrant several days in bed.”

The twins nodded. They had never repeated their actions of that day, having hated every minute of their enforced bed rest. “Do you remember what happened after that?” When Elrond shook his head slowly, Elladan filled in the details. “Several of the Dúnedain rode in; they had been badly injured and your skills were needed to take care of them. You spent the next four days in the Healing Halls ensuring that they survived. Celebrían was in Lothlórien and Glorfindel was away on patrol so Erestor sat with us for the four days that we were confined to bed. When something came up that only he could deal with, Melpomaen sat with us until Erestor returned. He helped bathe us to keep our fevers down, made sure that we ate and drank, told us stories, anything and everything to ensure that we were comfortable. He did everything that our Naneth, that Celebrían, should have done.”

Elrond smiled at their description of the way that Erestor had cared for them and tried desperately to ignore the warm feelings the knowledge created. He turned his head towards the warm light that spilled out onto the balcony from the hall, wanting desperately to return but knowing that this conversation needed to be completed first.

Elladan knelt on the floor and grasped his father’s hands even as he shared a significant look with Elrohir.

“Ada, you deserve a chance to be happy, to be loved. What is more important is that the person you love loves you in return. You weren’t happy with Celebrían and you deserve to finally be happy. The two of you weren’t bonded and nobody is going to begrudge you the opportunity to be happy; they all love you too much for that and, if you hadn’t noticed, they all love Erestor as well.”

Elrond laughed delightedly. “Of course, the fact that you would get Erestor as a step-parent isn’t influencing you at all?” He snorted as the twins attempted looks of innocence. “Very well. What do you suggest then?”

“Going inside is probably a good starting point and you can just take it from there.”

As they re-entered the Hall they saw that Glorfindel was still dancing although his partner had changed and he was now dancing with Erestor’s assistant Melpomaen. A quick scan of the room saw Erestor watching the couples from his spot by the fireplace and about to be approached by one of the more senior of Glorfindel’s men.

“Ada, go and ask Erestor to dance.”

“I can’t do that. What are people going to say? I don’t want gossip being spread about Erestor just because he danced with me.”

“Ada, either you ask Erestor to dance or that friend of Ladron’s will.”

The twins grinned as Elrond stalked off in a flurry of plum and charcoal robes, stopping to briefly speak to Erestor and practically dragged him onto the floor.

(~*~)

Erestor held himself stiffly as he was pulled into Elrond’s arms on the dance floor, not really knowing what to do with himself. He was too terrified to relax completely in case he gave something away. He tentatively rested his free hand on Elrond’s shoulder seeing as the half-elf still hadn’t relinquished his grip on Erestor’s other hand. He could feel the eyes of the other residents on them as they started to dance so he focused on Elrond’s chest, noticing as he did so that the half-elf was a good head taller than him. He felt a large hand stroke up and down his back underneath his hair and out of sight of their audience.

“Will you please relax Erestor? Nobody’s watching; they’re all dancing themselves.” Elrond didn’t bother to wait for Erestor to respond and pulled him closer so that they were flush together eliciting a gasp of surprise from his Seneschal. As he tilted his head slightly he caught sight of the most becoming blush that had spread across the Councillor’s cheeks. He smiled as gradually, Erestor relaxed so that he was no longer quite as tense. He still wasn’t quite as relaxed as Elrond would like though. With the hour starting to grow late as they continued to dance, the majority of the inhabitants started to drift away to their homes and bed in an attempt to get some rest before the following day’s festivities. He saw the twins and a smirking Glorfindel gesticulating towards where they had hung a bunch of mistletoe and nodded his thanks. The rapidly emptying room gave him the confidence to speak and address things between them.

“Why did you never tell me that you loved me Erestor?” He tightened his arms as Erestor jumped like a startled rabbit.

“Who told you that?” Erestor was shaking almost violently and his eyes were wide and starting to fill with tears.

“Is it true?” Elrond pressed harder. “Erestor, do you love me?”

“Yes.” Erestor answered with a sob. “I love you and I love your sons as though they were my own.”

“I know; they call you Nana.”

“The twins told you.” Erestor’s voice was full of betrayal. “I’m sorry. I never wanted you to know or think that I was trying to take Celebrían’s place.”

“I know that Erestor. If you have wanted to do that you have had ample opportunities that you’ve never taken. The twins told me because I love you as well. I fell for you shortly after the twin’s majority.”

He tilted Erestor’s chin up to look into tear-filled ebony eyes and cupped Erestor’s face so that he could stroke his thumbs over high cheekbones that had started to flush beautifully. He disregarded the mistletoe; he had no need for it.

“I love you.”

Completely disregarding the cheers and catcalls coming from Glorfindel and the twins he leaned in and claimed the soft full lips, thrilling as the smaller elf melted into him. He pulled away and smiled at the sight in front of him; Erestor was beautiful now and he could only imagine what the other elf would look like in the throes of passion. He wrapped one arm around Erestor’s waist and pulled him in closer so that they were pressed closely together and his other hand slid round from Erestor’s cheek to tangle in his hair as he leaned in for another kiss. This time he only pulled away when breath became a necessity and even then he dusted kisses across the flushed cheeks much to Erestor’s embarrassment. The sight of the full lips was too tempting and Elrond couldn’t resist leaning in and claiming yet another kiss, this one achingly tender before he pulled back reluctantly.

Elrond stepped back and allowed his son’s to move in to take his place, not bothering to turn his head as Glorfindel stepped up to him. Instead, he focused on where the twins were hugging Erestor tightly and gleefully, smiling and laughing as they did so.

“It’s about time Elrond ... I was beginning to despair that you were ever going to do something.”

“So you knew about this as well Glorfindel? How long?”

“The twin’s were still little elflings when they asked Erestor to be their Nana because theirs ‘didn’t want them anymore’ and about eighty-five when they realised that he was in love with you. He never said anything because he didn’t want to affect the relationship between you and the boys and you and Celebrían. However, he truly does love you and you could do a lot worse. What do you intend to do?”

“I love him as well Glorfindel, if I’m honest with myself I have done for a very long time. I know how wonderful Erestor is and I intend to make sure that he realises how wonderful he is. I have no doubt that the twin’s will help me in that matter. As for what I intend to do, I’m going to court him and then I’m going to bond with him if he’ll have me.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems there Elrond. Now go on, get our Seneschal to bed, preferably his own.”

He grinned to himself as Elrond wrapped a proprietary arm around Erestor’s waist and escorted him back towards the family wing and their bed chambers, the twins trailing behind them whispering like elflings.

(~*~)

Erestor shut the door firmly behind him and leant back against it, pressing a hand to his lips in amazement as he heard footsteps move away from his door towards Elrond’s chambers at the opposite end of the corridor. The Elven Lord wanted to _court_ him; he had just told him as Elrond escorted him back to his chambers. Elrond loved him and wanted this to be official. He had actually said that. He didn’t know what he was more elated about; the fact that Elrond loved him or that Elladan and Elrohir would finally (and officially) be his sons, even though it would be step-sons. What he did know for a fact was that inexperienced as he was there was no way that he would be able to survive a courtship followed by the traditional one year betrothal before he and Elrond bonded. He already knew that the half-elf loved him and he had every intention of saying yes to him, why bother to wait?

Maybe he could persuade the twins to help him. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem. After all, he wasn’t Elrond’s Chief Councillor for no reason. Erestor smirked as he undressed, hanging the robes in his wardrobe, grateful that Glorfindel had thought ahead and had had several pairs of more decorative and colourful robes made.

Elrond wasn’t going to know what had hit him.


End file.
